Trigger safety attachment for firearms



April 1953 B. B. BAKER ET AL 2,635,379

TRIGGER SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR FIREARMS Filed June 14, 1948 will,

Zen ,3. .Ba/fer Hd/o/a f 619/68 Patented Apr. 21, I953 UNITED TRIGGER SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR FIREARMS Ben E. Baker and Harold J. Gates, Lone Pine, Calif.

Application June 14, 1948, Serial No. 32,753

4 Claims.

This invention is concerned With an attachment for firearms and it is a general obj of the invention to provide a simple, practical, effective structure applicable to firearms to form a safety control in connection with the trigger or triggers thereof.

Firearms such, for example, as rifles or guns ar usually provided with bolts, catches, or latches in connection with the hammers and designed to prevent accidental operation. The usual safety bolt or latch of the character referred to is such as to require deliberate operation and is not always as convenient and quick to operate as the user would prefer.

It is a general object of this invention to provide a structure applicable to a gun preferably as an attachment and operating to control the trigger or triggers thereof so that the gun cannot be fired until the attachment has been actuated.

It is a general object of this invention to provide an attachment of the general character referred to which is particularly suitable for and practical in connection with guns involving more than one trigger. The invention can be used to advantage in connection with a double barreled shotgun or the like wherein there are two triggers, one arranged forward of the other.

A further object of this invention is to provide a trigger control of the general character referred to applicable to a gun without material alteration or reconstruction thereof and in such manner as to in no way encumber or complicate the gun construction or action.

A further object of this invention is to provide a, trigger control of the general character referred to in which the element engaging the trigger or triggers to control the action thereof is a simple reciprocating plate operating adjacent the stock where the triggers are located so that the finger portions of the triggers are entirely free and unobstructed.

The various objects and features of our invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description of a. typical preferred form and application of the invention, throughout which description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a typical doublebarreled gun, say for example a shotgun, having two triggers, certain portions of the structure being broken away to show in section, the safety device being shown set or engaged. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1 showing in detail the manper in which the structure of the present inven tion is combined with the triggers of the gun and showing the safety device actuated or released.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed sectional view taken as indicated by line 3-3 on Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed sectional view taken as indicated by line 4-4 on Fig. 2.

The structure provided by the present invention may be advantageously employed as an attachment in that it can be readily embodied in a form applicable to an ordinary or conventional un such as a shotgun or the like without material alteration or modification thereof. In the following description reference will be had to a form of the invention intended as an attachment applicable to a conventional shotgun. However, it is to be understood that if desired the invention may be incorporated in a structure permanently built into or incorporated in a gun in the course of manufacture.

The structure of the present invention is applicable, generally, to guns such as rifles or shotguns. However, it is particularly practical as applied to a double-barreled gun such as a doublebarreled shotgun wherein there are two triggers controlling the fire of the two barrels, the trigand carried on a scar pin ll, trigger D and E controlling the hammers B through the sears C, and various other elements common to gun construction of this general character, such, for example, as main springs I2 operating the hammers, sear springs l3 operating the sears, etc. In accordance with conventional gun construction a trigger guard F is carried by the stock A at its lower side and is a loop-shaped element surrounding the triggers and intended to protect them against accidental operation. In practice the guard F is secured to the stock A of the gun and for all intents and purposes is a fixed or rigid part of the gun structure permanently shielding or guarding the two triggers D and E. The triggers D and E are arranged in tandem, that is, one behind the other, the trigger D being foremost, and in accordance with conventional gun construction it is cooperatively related with the sear C controlling the hammer for the right bareach includes a finger piece lfi'curved to com-- fortably receive the finger of the operator and in the case shown each trigger has a web-like extension l1 projecting upwardly from the upper rear portion of the finger piece which extension co,-

operates with the sear in the manner common to firearms of thi character.

The structure provided by the present invention is in the nature of a reciprocating control acting to simultaneously control both triggersv and in its preferred form it is characterized by a reciprocating control plate G which contacts the triggers. The form of the invention illustratedin the drawingsincludes mounting means,

H for the control plate G, ,means .J. normally yieldingly holding. the. control plate in enga ement with the triggers, and. operatingumeansK by.

which theplate .may be..,conveniently .operatedor reciprocated out of engagement. with. 131161333181.

gers.

A within the guardF. and .having. portions immediately .to the .rear of. the. extensions .or. pro.-

jections H of the triggers- The mountingmeans H provided bymthe, present invention. is such: as j, to support the plate .G so that .itoperates .or. ree ciprocates longitudinally ofthe gun and the plate is such thatwhen it is in a. forwardpositionit has cooperative engagement with. the triggers but is clear of thetriggers when in therear or retracted position. In the case illustrated,.which is typical of double barreledshotguns the extensionsor projections llof the triggers where they The control plate G Vin..,its;preferred form. is. slidablev Jon the fiat. bottom. side .29 of the stock such as to engage the projecting part I 1 of theforward trigger Dwhile theshoulder- 22--islocated to cooperate wither-engage the part --l-'l of trig-. ger E. It is preferred to relate the shoulders 2l-- and 22..tothe partsH-of thetwo triggers so that the shoulders simultaneously-engage the trig-- gers when the plate is moved forward and-.simul taneously release the triggerswhen theplateis moved rearward. r e

The present invention contemplates engage-- ment of the-triggers by the plate Gso that when the plate is in the forward position shown in Fig. l-the triggers are locked against operation.- In the particular form-of the invention illustrated theextension or projection H of each trigger is" provided with arearwardly opening notch or recess 25 and the shoulderedportions-ofthe plateengage in therecesseswhen-the plate is in the forward position. 4 g r The means I-I mounting 20 .of.-the .stock. within the guard, as shown in thedrawings- In the particular form of the inthe plate on the gun preferably mounts the plate directlyon the stock- A.of .thegun, for instance, 'on the fiat underside vention illustratedthe meansI-L involves .a simple mounting. screw having. .a threaded. portion 3a engaged in. the stock of. the gun, a shank portion...3l extendingthrough. an. elongate slot or.

fulcrum point 42.

opening 33 in the plate G, and a head 34 retaining the plate in position on the shank portion 3|.

The means K provided for operating the plate G acts to slide or shift the plate rearwardly from a forward engaged position such as is shown in Fig. 1, to a rear released position such as is shown in Rigs. 2 and 3. ;In the particularform of the invention illustrated the operating "means K involves a lever and the lever is preferably a simple bell crank having arms and 4| joined at a The arm 40 is a short arm arranged adjacent 'the rear end portion of the guard F While the arm 40 is a long arm extending' rearwardly from the guard beneath the stock A to the rear of the guard. The fulcrum portion of thelever .isshown merely bearing upon the guard providing a pivotal engagement between the lever and the guard. The operating means further includes a link connecting the short arm 40 of the leverzand the plate G. The linkis shown inthe form of a simple rod 43 slidably; passing through an opening 44 in the rear end portion of the guard-and having its forward end engaged with an ear 45 on theplate while itsrear end is coupled to the arm 40. The ear 45 is shown formedon or projecting. from the rear end of plate G and the rear end Portion of the rod; is shown fitted freely through. an. openingAfiz-in. the armr ifl. The rod is coupled to the ear 45;, by a head 4,! on. the forward end of ,the rod, and is provided at its end -withsa, head48 that engagesthearmAD aslclearly-fihow nin Fig. 2 of the drawings. With theconstruction, just,

described depression of thelong. arm -4l the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig; .l.-.causes; thelever to pivotabout thefulcrum, point 42350:. that the arm. 40 swings rearwardly. carrying-the; link or rod 43 with it. Asthelink 43 movesrearv wardly the plateG is moved rearwardly. and out of engagement with. the. triggers. The means J serves to normally yieldinglyhold. the. plate. G in a. forward, position. wherethe shouldered portions of theplateare. engaged in. the notches .of the triggers- In the form ofthe; invention illustrated themeans ,J involves asim, 1 ple helical spring 50.,carried on the. rod-43 be--.; tween the rear endportion of the guard E where the opening 44 islQcatedandthe ear 45-.ontheplate G. Spring is a compression spring 'act--. ing under compression..betweenthe ear 45=and= theguard F so that it normally yieldinglyurges the plate forward. The orrod.;43 serves as; an. effective guide and support. forthespring maint-aining .the spring in. proper.v operatingposition between the guardv andthe plate.

From the foregoingdescription'it will be apparent that the structure provided-by the present invention can be applied to a typical or conventional gun by merely notching the triggersto form the notches 25 and forming a passage or opening 44 through the guard to pass the'rod 43. The structure'involves few 'simple'ye'tdependable parts and under normal conditions the-'- plate G is urged forward to latchor engage inthe notches in the triggersand normally-hold the triggers against operation Beforeth-gim can be fired the user or operator must depress the long arm 4| of the control lever in.the:direction. indicated. by the arrow in Fig. 1, and i when the lever is thus depressed the guard-plate is shifted so that both triggersare simultaneously released, making the gun. ready. for use. Having describedonly a typicalpreferredform zandapplicationgof. our, invention. we donut wish;

to be limited or restricted to the specific details herein set forth, but wish to reserve to ourselves any variations or modifications that may appear to those skilled in the art and fall within the scope of the following claims.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. An attachment for a gun having a stock carrying a trigger and a trigger guard including, a plate, means mounting the plate on the stock to to shift relative to the trigger, means normally yieldingly holding the plate in engagement with the trigger holding the trigger against operation, and an operator for the plate shifting the plate away from the trigger including a lever pivoted on the guard and projecting rearward from the guard and a link between the lever and plate and guided by the guard, the first mentioned means including a com ression spring on the link between the plate and guard.

2. An attachment for a gun having a stock, triggers carried by the stock and a guard over the triggers, a plate, means mounting the plate on the stock entirely within the guard to shift into engagement with the triggers, a spring normally yieldingly holding the plate in holding engagement with the triggers, a lever at the rear of the guard wholly supported by the guard to pivot relative thereto, and an operating link from the lever to the plate, the spring being a compression spring carried on the link within the guard and between the plate and the guard.

3. An attachment for a gun having a stock carrying a trigger and an apertured trigger guard including, a plate, means mounting the plate on the stock entirely within the guard to shift relative to the trigger, means entirely within the confines of the guard normally yieldingly holding the plate in engagement with the trigger and stopping the trigger against operation, and an operator for the plate shifting the plate away from the trigger including, a lever bearing on the exterior of the guard and having a finger portion projecting rearward from the guard, and a substantially straight elongate link carrying the lever and connecting the lever and plate, the link being slidably carried in the aperture of the guard.

4. An attachment for a gun having a stock, triggers carried by the stock and an apertured guard having spaced ends mounted on the stock extending over the triggers including, a plate with a projection thereon, a single screw slidably mounting the plate on the exterior of the stock between the ends of the guard and entirely within the confines of the guard to shift into engagement with the triggers, a spring within the guard and between said projection on the plate and one end of the guard normally yieldingly holding the plate in holding engagement with the triggers, an L-shaped lever at the rear of the guard supported to pivot relative thereto, and a substantially straight elongate operating link extending from the lever to the plate and slidably extending through the aperture of the guard.

BEN B. BAKER. HAROLD J. GATES.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,070,965 Jones Aug. 19, 1913 1,379,238 Barnard May 24, 1921 2,335,669 Hanson Nov. 30, 1943 

